An Ambitious Year Ahead

The winning photo you helped me choose!

So first of all, thanks for taking the time to vote on my jewelry close up photo (now posted above)... After all the great input I received I ended up re-shooting a clearer version of the winning image. Ultimately this image will end up on display next to my jewelry, to show the public that they REALLY are hand-painted teenie weeny oil paintings. So thanks for helping me. Because I am a really indecisive artist to say the least!

(close up of the arteest in action - thank god she had no ear goobers.)

Which brings me to my next exciting piece of news! In about a week I will be delivering my first batch of newly redesigned necklaces to a great local boutique/gallery in Ballard, WA! It's called the VENUE. Yes folks, I now have a permanent place for you to shop locally for these cute gift ideas! AND VALENTINE'S DAY IS COMING! Theaaaay make theeeee purrrrfect giftieeees~ let me make a custom one for you!

So as you may have guessed. I've been busy. Painting trees the size of the nail on my little pinkie finger. Yup. I'm covered in 'em. Not nails, TREE CHARMS! Aaaand lovin' it!

Unfortunately though, it's time to raise my prices too... SIGNIFICANTLY. It's a good thing! Especially for those that own the original, because that means for you... your little oil painting has gone up in value! Now - I don't want to see you on the street trying to sell it to the next highest bidder... you better not!

I encourage anyone that has been interested in picking on of these up for yourself, to get one now before my prices officially go up on February 5th. There are a few left online at my Etsy store for only $30! IF YOU TELL ME YOU SAW THIS BLOG POST I WON'T CHARGE SHIPPING!*** IMPORTANT! Contact me FIRST BEFORE you hit the "purchase" button or Paypal will charge you shipping. Thanks!

IF YOU ARE LOCAL? The rest of my $30 stock will be on display at my first show this year on Thursday, ONE NIGHT ONLY! I will be at the 619 Western Building for 1st Thursday in the Pioneer Square area, on Feb. 4th from 6-9. For more info read on...

So, enough with the selfish plugs huh? Ok, you win.

I really intended to begin tonight's blog entry with a little inspiration about greasin' the 'ol creative wheel for 2010. I had read a great post on the Artbizblog a few days ago, causing a reaction so strong that I couldn't hit the "leave a comment" button fast enough! If you are a procrastinator, or a stuck artist, or just need a means of seeing how other people overcome their obstacles with their art... please visit this link. http://www.artbizblog.com/2010/01/15minutes.html

Rather than explain in my own words, I would rather just encourage you to click on this link to read it for yourself... and don't forget to scroll down to read MY comment. I left my example of how IT (go find out what IT is!) worked for me. And I actually sound a little bit intelligent. Just a little.

While you are at it... clickin' around the web-n-stuff... check out all the shows I am entering this year! Just posted them to my website. Will I be in your neck of the woods in 2010??? Visit MY AMBITIOUS SHOW SCHEDULE here.

I'm Branching Out!

Okay, Okay, it is true... I am obsessed! Lately I have been exploring my inner desire to create wearable art and I must say that I am loving it! It all started when I began painting my little tiny oil paintings on Scrabble tile game pieces... I would go to the local market on Sunday rummaging through bins to find the one letter I was missing. THEN I saw other bins, full of antique trinkets and more... letter press keys, watch faces, dominos, typewriter keys, doll parts, more more more!

Now I have my own bins. Bins of old vintage goodies just waiting to become something new! Reused, upcycled, and reborn! So I created my own line of jewelry and called it "reJENeration design"! Get it? Re - JEN - eration? That's me. I'm Jen. Yup. And very excited to announce that several of my new jewelries are now posted on my NEW store online! So please take a look when you get the chance... so many things that make unique gifts and keep-sakes you will love!

So just that you aren't confused I now have two stores. One for my art/paintings and little trees: www.jenniferphillipsart.com

And one for my jewelry too: www.reJENerationdesigns.com

I realize you may have signed up for this blog anticipating everything related to my painting, so I probably won't post very much about my jewelry here (or I will try not to)... so when I post something new to my jewelry line it will show up in the widget I created to the right instead!

So in celebration of the "selfish plug" I now give you a few morsels of new paintings and jewelry pieces freshly posted to my stores... Thanks for looking!

"Branching Out"

Original Oil on Canvas 18x24 Available - email for pricing

Prints Available Starting at $20 - Click here

"Restless Again"

Original Oil Miniature 2"x4" with Easel

$57

Click Here for Purchase Information

Creepy Doll Face Print on Vintage Scrabble Tile

$12

Click Here for Purchase Information

Tiny Beetle Bug Print with Shimmery Wings on Vintage Scrabble Tile

$15 - FREE Shipping!

Click Here for purchase information

Vote for ME!

Double Tree

Hand-painted miniature on vintage Scrabble Tile!

$30

Click here for purchase information

I have been busy hunting and gathering letters for my new custom Tree Charm orders I took at the Bellevue Artfair last week... now that I have the letters I need, it is time to get busy! This one above, is a new one freshly posted today!

Click HERE to visit Infinity Art Gallery and cast your vote!

I am also excited to share that I made it as a finalist in the 2D category for the Infinity Art Gallery online competition! Being that there were over 200 entries internationally, I am honored!

Now, I have the chance to win the Viewer's Choice award and be featured with the winners online... BUT in order to win, I NEED YOUR HELP! Please visit the gallery and vote for my painting (above) titled "Refresh", by clicking on the checkbox next to the name of the painting. If I win, it could give me a whole lot of extra exposure! It would be fantastic! It takes seconds and there is no obligation to give any personal information...

I will find out at the end of the month and let you know the results! Thanks for your support!

Lastly, I have to share a disturbing article I came across today. "Mom Finds Her Baby for Sale on Craigslist!" Read the short article (or watch video), then think twice about how you post your personal photos online...

Arms Up!

"Arms Up"

2"x4" Oil on Canvas

You likie? I shippy. 

SOLD

Guess what!? I'VE BEEN TAGGED! How exciting is THAT!? My first tag... makes me so happy... sniff sniff - I am so honored to have received "A Passion for Painting" award AND even more honored that it was given to me by such a remarkable artist, Steven Walker!  I am blushing. Thank you soooo much! 

According to the rules of being tagged, I am supposed to link to the artist that tagged me, list seven things that I love, choose seven other artist's to pass the award to, and then notify them of the award... so, here 'goes...

7 Things I Love (besides the obvious husband, family, etc.)

1. All things food.

2. All things sweet (IE. candy, chocolate - make good gifts... hint hint.)

3. All things itty bitty. (IE. teeny tiny, miniature - like "Oh my goooosh, that's so tiny I have to buy it!")

4. The smell of oil paint in my studio. (Except when I've forgotten to ventilate and pass out from toxic fumes.)

5. Early Ford Broncos and many other classic cars. (Especially my STOLEN Bronco... Jerks.)

6. Snakes, Chameleons, and Lizards. (At one point I owned 2 large boa constrictors, a Jackson's Chameleon, 2 Bearded Dragons, and worked in a pet store cuz I couldn't get enough.)

7. Answering technical questions about art materials, helping people, and making people smile. (Used to work 10 years for an art supply company where I did this all the time in a retail environment... now I try to find ways to do it in my every day life.)

7 Fantastic Artist's (including Steven Walker) to drool over

1. Ambera Wellmann

2. Leslie Sealy

3. Maria Coryell Martin

4. Andrea Joseph

5. Taman Vanscoy

6. David Malan

7. Michael Naples

SLURP your BLOG to BLURB...What the?

"On Top"

4"x4"

Oil on Panel

SOLD

This morning I went to my studio to paint. Only to find myself plopped in my chair in front of my computer again! I begun clicking around on links from a follower of mine on Twitter and found myself finding all sorts of new helpful information. I visited Clint Watson's "Fine Art Views" blog (check it out) - He has great tools for creating a very professional looking website and more (see also FineArtStudioOnline).

Then it all spiraled pleasantly out of control from there... I've been on the computer for 2 hours already! Whew! Some other great blogs I came across today that are very notable are:

The Crafted Webmaster: Internet Marketing for Artists - Many great artist resources and links available here.

And once again I have to share my excitement about Blurb.com - I already love this site. I have talked about it before. They make beautiful books from your uploaded images. But today I found that you can make YOUR blog into a book! Take any entries you select and have them printed in book format! Blurb calls this process of uploading photos "slurping". I love the lingo! So fantastic! The possibilities are endless! I could even do a book about BERT! (my brush, for those that are new to my blog.) For more information about this click here. Watch the video demo (slurping in action)!

One final note. There's a new blogger in town that I thought I would share with you. Her watercolors are gorgeous and her new blog is one to watch! So far great tips and techniques and words of inspiration... Connie Williams Watercolor Meanders. Enjoy!

Twitter Me

"Inclined"

3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Oil on Panel

Please visit my Etsy Store for purchase information

I have been pretty busy painting several new works for a show this upcoming March. Stay tuned for a slew of 10x10's that I will be posting soon to my website for a preview before the show opens in Bellingham, WA, March 7th at the Lucia Douglas Gallery.

Additionally, today, I took some time for marketing brain to research a bit more about a new(er) online social networking site called Twitter. You may have heard about it, or already subscribe to it by now. I am a late bloomer. Was intimidated by it actually. Why do I need ANOTHER means for spending even more time on the internet? Well, it's simple actually. Network Network Network! 

To get me started I read a post in Alyson Stanfield's Artbiz blog about expanding your online marketing that touched on Twitter, so I thought I would share with you, check it out here. 

Also a good friend of mine sent me a link to a blog post about 50 Ways on Using Twitter for Businessses. It gives you insight as to how you can take advantage of these new online tools for networking all over the globe. It's actually kind of exciting! Another great mention in this blog post is how to shrink your URL address links when posting on blogs or twitter entries. It is really helpful!

Twitter is a great way for artist's to share a different side of themselves. You post little "one liners" about your interests, what you are doing in that moment, or what has your attention right now... giving your followers a peak at what you are like as a regular human being... which can be good or bad - you decide... visit me on Twitter, better yet, I need followers! Follow me on Twitter and explore how this new tool can work for you too!

New Paintings at the University House

"Between"

5x5"

Oil on Panel

This painting is FREE! 

But you must attend the show this Thursday, to enter to win this 

Door Prize at the Opening Night Gala Event!

February 19th from 5:30 - 7:30 pm

University House

4400 Stone Way N

Seattle, WA 98103

206 545 8400

"Far from Reality"

2x4"

Oil on Canvas with Twigg Easel

SOLD

New paintings available this Thursday at the University House in Wallingford (Seattle). AND I am very excited to announce the introduction of my new handmade Twigg Easels! The really fit the theme and are a fun addition to the Landscape in Your Pocket Series... More will be posted this week to my Etsy store so check back soon!

Firehouse Coffee Shop in Ballard... visit my show!

This week I set up my show at the Firehouse Coffee shop in Ballard (Seattle, WA). My work will be up through January 31st and will be rotating - as they sell, I will replace with new work to keep it fresh since it is there for two months. I have a little selection at the Firehouse Coffee Shop, of my pocket sized landscapes all framed up and ready for the giving this holiday season! They should fit in any standard size Christmas stocking too... Please come down and take a look at my work on display! 

"Stand Up to You"

2x4" (approx. 9x11 with frame)

Oil on Canvas, Pocket Landscape embellished with cracked surface

BUY IT NOW at Etsy.com

Whimsical in form, yet making a statement. This piece was inspired by a trip I took over and through the cascades to Eastern Washington. Trees often take on human qualities, or I should say I have a tendency to bring the inanimate to life... they stand there, often in ways that remind me of myself.

In this case, there was a section of the mountains that had been sadly cleared of trees. Only stumps and debris remained. This tree stood on the edge over looking this vast area of destruction and seemed as if it wasn't phased by it. It stood there with a posture that said, " HA! Your not gonna bring me down!" as if it were standing up to the force that knocked down all his tree friends... it wasn't a scaredy tree anyway...

"Pretending"

6x12" Oil on Panel unframed

SOLD

When I was little, my friend and I would tromp through the neighborhood forest preserve... we had very active imaginations. Often we would pretend that we were lost in the woods and no one would ever find us. We were only 8, but we would use our special "Macgyver" skills to make forts out of twigs and wood and survive on eating the local neighborhood black berries until dark, only to run home to mom's home cooked meals! ... ahh memories.

My Etsty Store is Born!

I have officially launched my online store! Yet another milestone for me this year! First I quit my job, had some shows, launched a blog, and now own my very own shopping center! Geesh, what's next?! (No really, what's next? Anyone with ideas, I could use a few.)

You may have noticed to your right, that there is a little "billboard" on my blog's sidebar to click on. It will take you directly to My Etsy Store where you can browse my current selection of archival prints all custom matted just for you. 

I will be continuing to post my miniature oils and pocket size landscapes for your shopping pleasure too. They are all great ideas for gifts as we approach the holidays... It's so convenient! No crowds, no lines, no traffic, you don't even have to worry about finding a parking space!